Things You'll Need
- Ability to do research
- Willingness to ask questions
- Attention to detail
Instructions
It is critical to the success of your endurance horse that you feed him properly. Endurance horses are the equivalent of long-distance runners in humans, but their metabolism works very differently. In order to make sure your endurance horse is fed appropriately for his work, you need to know what and how to feed. The basic platform for feeding an endurance horse is forage, electrolytes and grain concentrates.
Do not feed too much grain or feed concentrates. Too many carbohydrates and starches will adversely effect your horse by causing him to go into full blown low blood sugar once he has burned up the quick calories. If you feel you must feed your horse concentrates/grain, feed a low protein, high fat feed. Make sure the fat content is at least eight to 10 percent, and the top dress it with one cup of corn oil once a day.
Too much protein demands more water intake, which can be devastating for an endurance horse. Make sure that you stay away from alfalfa and other hi-protein roughages and concentrates. Stick to quality forage that has a lower protein content but is full of quality vitamins and minerals.
Forage, forage and forage. It has been proven, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that good quality forage is the best possible feed for endurance horses. Make sure your horse has all he can eat, all the time. This will cut down or negate any need for grain or concentrates. Also know that there are "super-fibers"--beet pulp, soybean hulls, almond hulls or oat hulls--that are excellent calorie sources with little to no blood sugar boosters. Just be sure to follow instructions on how they are fed.
Make sure your horse's electrolytes are primed and ready for the race. Put electrolytes in his water, and give him an electrolyte boost before, during, and after your competition. Feeding the endurance horse can be tricky, but the results are a healthier horse and a fitter one.